Brake for bicycles



{No Model.)

I. A. GLADWIN. BRAKE FOR BIGYGLES.

No. 571,561. Patented Nov. 1'1, 1896.

Inventor.

Attorney.

Witnesses.

UNITED STATES PATENT FRED A. GLADVIN, OF ROCHESTER, NEXV YORK.

BRAKE FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,561, dated November 17', 1896.

Application filed May 8,1896. Serial No. 590,790. (lie model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED A. GLADWIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the crank-hanger of a bicycle, showin the parts of the crank-shaft and connected mechanism in full lines and parts in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to produce a brake for velocipedcs which is operated by pressing on one or both of the pedals, as in back pedaling; and my invention consists in the mechanisms and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, A is the transverse tube, constituting the cranlchanger in the ordinary type of safety'bicycle, from which extend the framing-tubes A A, as usual. The hanger A is provided with the ball-races a a, which are fastened thereto in any suitable manner.

B is the crank-shaft, and O C are the cranks. The crank-shaft B is threaded, as at B B and ball-races b b are screwed thereon and held in position by a locking-nut b on one end and in the form of device shown by the sprocket-Wheel F on the other end, which screws upon the threaded portion B. The balls 27 are held between the ball-races b and the ball-races a. The sprocket-wheel F may be held in position on the crank-shaft in any suitable way, as by a set-screw or lockingnut.

The crank-shaft B, at the middle of the crank-hanger A, is enlarged at B as shown in Fig. 1, and through the enlarged portion is a transverse slot b in which are set a pair of blocks D D, wedge-formed in vertical section, as shown in Fig. 1, and rectangular in horizontal section, as seen from Figs. 1 and 2. These blocks fit closely, but with sufficient freedom to insure case of movement in the slot N. In the outer surface of each block D is a countersunk cavity, in which is placed a pad or block cl of suitable material, such as rawhide. lVithin the crank-hanger A, and in position to be engaged by the rawhide blocks (Z, is a ring a shrunk into or fastened into said crank-hanger, so as to be rigid therewith. The crank-shaft B has an axial hole for a rod E, the end of which is screw-threaded,

as at c, and upon these threads is fastened a wedge-shaped block E, which rests within the slot Z2 and fits closely therein on its sides, but transversely does not fill said slot. Hence a slight longitudinal movement of the rod E moves the block E longitudinally in the cavity b The pressure-blocks D D fit against the inclined surfaces of the wedge-block E, and consequently a longitudinal movement of the block E in the direction of the arrow marked 1 in Fig. 1 separates the blocks D D from each other and presses the rawhide pads (1 against the ring a but a movement of the rod E in a direction opposite to said arrow permits the blocks D D to approach each other and disengages the pads cl from the pressure-ring a The crank-shaft B carries on one end the crank O, which carries the ordinary pedal. This crank is attached to the shaft B by a split ring 0, (see Fig. 3,) which clamps the shaft B by means of the setscrew 0, but the clamping is carried only to such a degree that the ring 0 is capable of some rotary movement upon the shaft B. Underneath the split ring 0 the shaft B is provided with diagonal slots 1) on opposite sides thereof, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1. These slots are arranged as portions of screw-threads of rapid pitch, and into each slot extends the end of a pin 0 which is attached to the ring c. 0011- scquently the crank O is capable of an oscillatory movement with reference to the shaft B, which is limited by the length of the slots 12 and the size of the pins 0 The rod E passes out through the end of the shaft B, which bears the pedal 0, and the end of the rod E is expanded either by an integral portion thereof or by a head E fastened thereon in any suitable manner. This head E has a rim 6 which rests on the outside of the split ring 0, but is held to the same by a removable ring E which fits upon the rim c and is fastened to the split ring 0 by the screws 8 The head E therefore follows any movement of the ring 0, which is longitudinal with respeet to the shaft B; but the head E has a' rotary movement with the rod E,\V1fi0h latter always has the same rotary movement as the shaft B; but said head E is capable of different rotation with respect to the ring on account of its being held thereto only by the rim 8 and the ring E".

Vhen the crank O, as shown in Fig. 1, is moving away from the eye of the observer, the pins 0 rest in the ends X of the slots 1), and the rod E has been moved in a direction oppositeto that indicated by the-arrow in Fig. 1, and the ring 0 rests against the hub of the sprocket-wheel F. This is the position of the parts in forward pedaling, and the blocks D are relieved from any out-ward pressure; but if a back pedaling pressure is placed upon the crankO the pins c -are'held-against movement toward the ends X of the slots 11*, and the continued movement of the shaft B, driven from the driving-wheel of the bicycle through thesprocket-wheel F, 'eausesthe pins 0 to slip to the other lends y of the slots-Z). This movement of the pins moves the split ringc .in the direction of the arrow marked 1 in Fig. 1 and carries with the ring the head Eithe rod E, and the block E, thus pressing the blocks 39 D-outward and clamping the rawhide pads'against the friction-ring a inside the crank hanger A, creating friction between said pads and "the pressureri-ng, which friction decreasesand-stops the motion of the shaft 13, the sprocket-wl1eel 1 and, through the usua'lchain, checks and'stops the driving-wheel of the bicycle. Assoon as the back-pedaling pressure is taken from the crank, the braking friction is relieved or reduced, as desired.

My brake device is invisible, noiseless, d ustproof, strong, durable, notapt to get out of repair, and is made withontadding appreciable weight to the machine. The drivingwheel maybe run backward without affecting the brake mechanism.

I intend myelai-ms to bear the broadest construction admissible in view of the state of the art.

It is obvious that this brake mechanism is applicable to other crank-operatedor pitmanoperated 'footapower devices, such as footlathes, .&c., as well as to velocipedes, and it is intended that'the term Velocipedes shall cover all such mechanisms.

lV'hat I-claim is- 1. In a foot-power mechanism, the-combination of a hollow hanger A, a driving-shaft B, a crank C, brake-blocks attached to said shaft within said hanger and movabletoward and from the interior surfaceo'f-said hanger, a rod within saidshaft, and-mechanism thereon for operating said brake-blocks and connections between said rod and a-crank.

2. In a foot-power mechanism, the combination of a hollow hanger A, a driving-shaft B, a crank =0, brake-blocks attached tosaid shaft withinsaid hanger and movabletoward and from the interior surface of said hanger,

a rod within said shaft .havingaeonnected wedge-likeblock'for moving said brake-blocks and having connections to a crank, and means for producing a differential longitudinal movement as between said crank and said shaft.

3. Ina foot-power mechanism, the combi nation of a hollow hanger A, a driving-shaft B, 'a crank O, brake-blocks attached to said shaft within said hanger and movable toward and from the interior surface of said hanger, a rod within said shaft having :a connected wed ge-like block for moving said brake-blocks and having connections to a crank, and means for producing a differential rotary movement and a differential longitudinal movement as between said crank and said shaft.

4. In a foot-power mechanism, the combination ofa hollow hanger A, a driving-shaft B having a transverse perforation within the crank-'hangerand a longitudinal perforation extending from said transverse perforation to the end of the shaft, a pressure-block in said transverse perforation adapted to move towardi'and from the interior snrface of said hanger, a rod movable in said longitudinal perforation in the shaft having a wedgingblock set in said transverse perforation for operating said pressure-block, and connections between a cran'kand saidrod foroperating said wedging-block thereon.

5. 1n affoot-powermeehanism, the combination ofa hollow hanger A, adrivin-g-shaft B having atransverseperforation within said hanger :and a longitudinal perforation extending from said trans-verse perforation to the end of the shaft, pressure-blocks in said transverseperforation adapted to move toward and from the interior surface of said hanger, a rod movable longitudinally .in said longitudinal perforation-andhaving a wedgelike block set in said transverse perforation for operating said pressure-blocks, a crank upon said shaft having a partial rotary move ment thereon, stop mechanism for limiting said rotary movement, means for producing a longitudinal'movement of said crank with reference tosaidshafuand connections between said rodand said crank.

(3. In afoot-power mechanism, the combination of a hollow hanger A, a driving shaft B havin g atransverseperforation within said hanger and 'a longitudinal perforation extending from "said transverse perforation to the end of the shaft, pressure-blocks in said transverseperforation adapted to move toward and .from the interior surface of said hanger, a rod movable longitudinally in said longitudinal perforation having a wedge-like block set in said-tram sverse perforation whereby to press said pressure-blocks against the interior-of said hanger, a crank on said shaft adapted to have a partial rotary movement with reference to the shaft, diagonalslots on the-outer surface of said shaft within the bearing of the crank thereon, pins fixed to said crank and extending into said slots.

whereby said crank has a limited rotary movement and a limited longitudinal movement a with reference to said shaft, and connections between said rodand said crank for moving the latter longitudinally to operate said pressure-block 7. In a foot-power mechanism, the combination of a hollow hanger A, a driving-shaft B having a transverse perforation 11 Within said hanger and a longitudinal perforation extending from said transverse perforation to the end of the shaft, pressure-blocks D D sliding in said transverse perforation to move toward and from the interior surface of said hanger, a rod E movable longitudinally in said longitudinal perforation and having a wedgebloek E on the end of said rod set in said transverse perforation and fittingthe same on two sides but capable of longitudinal movement therein, whereby to press said pressurebloc-ks against the interior of said hanger, a crank 0 having a split ring 0 embracing the end of said shaft and capable of a rotary movement thereon, one or more diagonal slots b on the outer surface of said shaft within the ring C, pins a passing through said split ring and fastened thereto and extending into said slots, whereby said crank has a limited rotary movement and a limited longitudinal movement with reference to said shaft, a head E upon the outer end of said rod E provided with a rim e outside of said split ring a and a ring E fitting over said rim e and attached to said split ring 0, substantially as described.

FRED A. GLADlVIN.

Witnesses:

W. O. GRAY, ARTHUR R. Snnnan. 

